Printing device



May 10, 1960 J H, DQHERTY ETAL 2,935,939

PRINTING DEVICE Filed March '7, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 10, 1960 J. H. DOHERTY ET PRINTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March '7, 1956 I Sittes PRINTING DEVICE John H. Doherty, Norwood, and Arthur E. J. Owen, Waban, Mass., assignors to Farrington Manufacturing Company, Needham Heights, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 7, 1956, Serial No. 570,002 4 Claims. (Cl. 101-269) This invention relatesto a printing device and pertains more specifically to such a device'of the type employing portable printing plates such as those carried by charge customers of retail outlets, such as stores, gasoline stations, and the like.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described of improved and simplified construction which can readily be opened to permit access to; the moving parts and removal and replacement of the printing Orinking rollers.

Another object is to provide a printing device able andreplaceable upon opening of the device.

Other and further objects will be apparent from the drawings and from the description which follows.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation, partly broken away and lIiSflZliOD, of one embodiment of the invention in -Fig. 5 is a view in cross section taken along the line 1 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an isometric-exploded view showing the torsion spring construction for urging the printing roller against the guide means; and g Fig. 7 isa view in section taken valong line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

The device of the present invention is an improvementv of that of VogtPatent 2,606,494, issued August 12, 1952, which embodies a printing or inking roller which can be pushed or pulled manually across the face of the printing platewith the paper which it is desired to print being interposed between the roller and the printing plate.

member 10 which'may be cast or molded of metal or a suitablehard plastic composition such as a thermoset resin, together with-a bottom plate 12 secured to the bottom of the base member as by screws or any other suitable means. Top member 14, which similarly may be made of cast metal or plastic, extends over base member 10 and is pivotally connected thereto at one end by means of hinge pin 16 for swinging movementto and from the normally closed operating position as shown in Fig. l to the open position shown in Fig. 3. The ends of top member 14 and base member '10 opposite hinge 16'may be releasably secured together in closed, or operatingposition by means of a locking pin'18 which extends through mating apertures in base member 10 and aplugiz 20 depending from ,top member 14. Y Mounted. onbasei member 10 is a bed plate or seat 22 for supporting the having areciprocable printing or inking roller for pressing paper against the printing plate, the roller being readily-remow partly broken away at n 4 -As shown 1n the drawings, the device comprises a base 1 tion through slot 24 which opens at each side of the device between top member 14 and base member 10. Sheet metal guides 26, 26 may be mounted on base member 10 adjacent bed plate 22 to guide the portable .printing plate to the desired location .on bed plate 22.

A second printing plate 28 bearing the name and address of the proprietor of the store or the like, which is intended to remain more or less permanently in the device, may be secured to base member 10 adjacent bed plate 22. In addition, printing Wheels 30, 30 may similarly be mounted adjacent printing plate 28, these printing wheels bearing numeral characters on their periphery and being individually rotatable to provide an indication of the date.

Mounted in top member 14 for movement across printing plate 28 and the portable printing plate which is adapted to be placed on bed plate 22 is a printing or inking roller. This roller, which may be ink absorbent such as disclosed in Gilbert Patent No. 2,620,730. or in Rockoif et a1. Patent No. 2,763,208, granted September 18, 1956, is arranged to press the sales slip or the like against the indicia on the printing plates and printing wheels. In the embodiment shown two printing or inking rollers are shown mounted end to end on a single 'shaft, of which roller 32 is of the soft, yielding construction described in said patent application and roller 34 is of the relatively hard and unyielding construct-ion described in said patent. In employing the relatively hard roller 34, it is preferred to provide a yielding spring support for the bed plate and printing plate or printing wheels of the type shown in Vogt Patent 2,606,494, while in the case of resilient roller 32, bed plate 22 may be secured directly to base member 10, as shown in Fig. 2. When an inked roller as described above is employed, ink impressions appear on the upper face of the paper opposite the printing plate, the characters on the printing plate being non-reversed. When a non-inked roller is used, a sheet of carbon paper laid over the paper to be printed may be used, and with either type of rollerengaged through apertures in yoke 40 which in turn is secured to draw-bar or rod 42.

Mounted on each end of shaft 36 outwardly of yoke 40 to form end trunnions are flanged cap rolls 44, 44 which may be made of a suitable wear-resistant material such as'nylon. Cap rolls 44, 44 are engaged by guide or cam members 46, 46 secured to each side of top member 14, guide members 46, 46 being provided with a depressed central zone 48 together with upwardly in- .clined. zones 50, 52 at each end thereof. When the printing roller is properly seated against guide members 46,

46 the flanges on cap rolls 44, 44 are engaged by the edges of the guide members, thus preventing endwise movement of shaft 36 and maintaining the roller assembly properly-mounted in yoke 40.

Rod or draw-bar 42 extends outwardly through 60 through which rod 42 is .free to slide, bearing 60 being provided with slots 62 at each side and being free to rotate about an: axis perpendicular to rod 42 and parallel to base member 10. Secured within recesses of top member 14 at opposite sides of bearing 60 are rubber torsion springs 64, 64, each of which is provided withaxrib or tang 66, 66 mating with slots 62, 62. The arrangement Patented May 10, 1960 an. aperture 54 in one end of top member 14, terminating in V a handle 56., Mounted within aperture 54 is a bearing f of these parts, as is best shown in Fig. 6, is such that bearing 60 is normally biased in a clockwise direction so that the yoke end of rod 42 is yieldingly urged toward guide members 46, 46.

A protective dust cover or outer housingflflz may. be secured over top member 14 anda spring 72rmay; be secured; to base member adjacent hinge 16 :.to. urge top member 14 to open position when. lockinggpi'nalfiz istreleased.

In operation of the device, a suitablev portable printing;

plate is inserted through slot 24- ontobed plate 22iwith the raisedindicia of the printing platefacing. upwardly. A. sales slip or other piece of paper to be-printed: is theninserted through the same slot to rest ontop. of. the portable. printing plate as well as on top of printing.plate.28 and printingwheels 30,30. Handle 56 is then pulled, causing printing rollers 32, 34: to move acrossitheiprinting.

plates, being urged downwardly against them during its. traverse by means of guide members 46, 46. When the printing operation has been completed andirollers 32,. 34 approach the end of their traverse, they rideupwardly into inclined portion 50, removing them from. contact with the paper and printing plate which may then be re,- moved. In the neXt printing operation, handle 56 is, pushed, causing rollers 32, 34 to traverse intheopposite direction with the same result.

When it is desired to change the date by movingprinting wheels 30, 30. or to change. printing plate. 28: carrying. the name and address of the proprietor, lockingpin 18 is withdrawn to release the right-hand endiof. top member 14, as seenin Figs. 1 and12, and permitting itto be swung to open position as seen in Fig. 3.. Since; torsion springs 64, 64 are secured to and move with top member 14, they will still function to. urge the printing rollers against guide members 46, 46 and. maintain the printing rollers in proper position even when top member 14 is in open position. When rollers: 32, 34.: become.

worn or damaged or need replacement: for. any other. reason, top. member 14 is swung to. openposition, where.- upon the rollers may be moved away from. guide mem: bers 46, 46 along with yoke 40 against the pressure: of: torsion springs 64, 64 simply by swinging rod or draw.- bar 42 in its bearing. 60, as seen in. Big. 3. Cap. rolls 44, 44 may then be readily removed, permitting shaft- 36 to be slid endwise, releasing rolls 32, 34'from yoke 40 and permitting their relacement. After the; printing rollers and cap rolls have been replaced and allowed. to return into engagement with guide members 46, .46 by virtue of operation of the torsion springs, thus. securing; shaft 36 in place, the top member may be swung back. to closed position as shown in Fig. 1 and locked by means of. locking pin 18.

Although specific. embodiments of the. invention have been described herein, itis not intended to: limit the invention solely thereto, but to include all of. the. obvious variations and modifications within the spiritand. scope of the. appended claims.

We claim:

1. Appartus for printing sales slips and thelike comprising a base member forming a .bed' for a printing plate'having raised. type on its upper face, atop member: extending over said base member mounted on said base memberfor movement to and from open and: closed position, means for releasably securing together said top and base member in closed position, said top and base member when in closed position having a slot between them for insertion of sales slips and the like above said printing plate, means mounted on said top member for pressing said sales slips against said printing'plate com,- prising a roller, means for moving said roller across said printing plate comprising a yoke carrying a shaft on which said roller is mounted, the ends of the shaft extending beyond the yoke and carrying flanged cap rolls, guide-means on said top member comprising a cam having a central zonegenerally parallel to the upper face of said printing.

cured'to saidyoke and extending outwardly from an end of said top member, a bearing slidably engaging said drawbar, and torsion spring means-securing the bearing to the top member biased to turn said bearing and to swing the yoke end'of the draw-bar toward'theguide means and to maintain the roller resiliently pressed against the guide means throughout the extent of movement of the roller, said torsion means being operative in both open and closed position of said top member.

2. Apparatus as defined inclaim 1 in which thetorsion spring means comprises a member composed of elastic rubbery material.

3. Apparatus for printing sales slips and the like comprising a base member forming a bed for a' printing plate having raised type on its upper face, a top member extending over said base member mounted on said base member for movement to and from open and closed'posi tion, means forreleasably securing together said top'and base member in closed position, said top and base member when in closed position having a slot between them for insertion-of sales slips and'the like above said printing-plate, means mounted on said top member for pressing said sales slips against said printing plate comprising; a roller mounted for reciprocating movement across said printing-plate, a draw-bar connected to said roller and extending through the wall of said top member mounted for axially reciprocating movement with said roller, a

bearing rotatablymounted on said top member slidably;

member at the opposite side of said roller from the printing plate, said guide means comprising an elongated cam member generally parallel to said draw-bar having a central zone uniformly spaced from said printing plate and at least one end portion inclined away from said'printing plate for opposing and limiting the swing of said draw bar and roller, said central zone being arranged to urge said roller against the printing plate during its travel thereacross.

4. Apparatus for printing sales slips and the like comprising a base member forming a bed-for a printing plate having raised type on its upper face, a top member extending over said base member mounted on said base member for movement to-and from open and'closedposition, means for releasably securing together said top and" base member in closed position, said top and base member when in closed position havinga slot between them for insertion of sales slips and the like-above said print-' ing plate, means mounted on said top member for pressing said sales slips against said printing plate comprising a from the face of said printing plate, said central zone being'arranged to urge said roller against said plate as'it moves thereacross, a'bearingslidably engaging said drawbar, andspring means securing the bearing to the top member, said spring means being biased to turn said bearing and to swing toward the guide means'theroller secured to the draw-bar and to maintain the-roller resiliently pressed against the guide means throughout'the extent of movement of the roller, said spring means'being operative in both open and closed position of said top member.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Christensen Dec. 21, 1937 Vogt Aug. 12, 1952 Gruver Mar. 31, 1953 Gruver et a1. n. May 22, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS- Germany Dec. 17, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,935,939 May 10, 1960 John H. Doherty et a1.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 40, for "through" read throughout Signed and sealed this 15th day of November 1960.

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL Ho AXLINE ROBERT C. Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents 

